Helmet for therapeutic scalp treatments



July 12 1938. M cfiosLEY ET AL .2,123,418

HELMET FOR THERAPEUTIC SCALP TREATMENTS Filed ma 16, 1936 PRESSUREINVENTORS. LEW/s IV. CEO-54E) 4 BY Fez-a JOHNSTON,

ATTORNEYS.

Patented July 12, 1938 PATENT @FFECE- HELMET FOR THERAPEUTIC SCALETREATMENTS Lewis M. Crosley and Fred E. Johnston, Cincinnati, Ohio,assignors to The Crosley Radio Corporation, Cincinnati, Ohio, acorporation of Ohio Application May 16, 1936, Serial No. 80,186

7 Claims.

Our invention relates to helmets within which pressures and negativepressure may be induced.

In the Cueto application, Serial No. 48,883 filed Nov. 8, 1935, there isdescribed a treatment of alternating pressures and negative pressures,the purpose of which is to induce, where the hair follicles are notdead, a renewed growth of hair on the scalp. Our helmet is particularlyadapted for use with such apparatus, as the treatment requires.

In the art various types of helmets have been suggested for use withtherapeutic devices. In the Beaubien Patent #861,349 of July 30, 1907, ahelmet is provided connected with means for exhausting the air from thehelmet and the helmet has an inflatable tube secured to its rim andextending inwardly therefrom, and means is provided for inflating thetube. While such a helmet is not so inoperable as to completely lackutility, we have found that where the scalp of a patient is alternatelyexposed to pressure and negative pressure, such a helmet as thatdisclosed in the Beaubien patent either does not form an effective sealor if the tube is sufiiciently inflated to fit firmly on the head of apatient, it will form a constrictive band which cuts off the circulationof blood in the superficial network of blood vessels which directlymakes one of the purposes of l the treatment ineffectual. Further such aconstruction has no wide range of adjustability for fitting a wide.range of head sizes.

It is the object of our invention to provide ahelmet provided withmeans, the sealing effect of which against the head is substantiallyproportionate to the pressure or negative pressure induced within thehelmet. It is a further object to provide a helmet having a wide rangeof adjustability for applications to the heads of patients which varymaterially in size and shape.

The above objects and other objects to which reference will be made inthe ensuing disclosure, we accomplish by that construction of which wehave shown a preferred embodiment.

Referring to the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of the helmet.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view of the helmet sealing band.

.Fig. 3 is a sectional view showing the position of the helmet on thehead of a patient.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the position of thesealing flaps adjusted to lit a person with .a larger head.

The helmet is preferably formed of some light weight metal which can bedrawn or formed into a hood member I having a combined inlet andattached by means of a flexible tube to the pumping apparatus. So as topreserve the form of the hood a head 4 is crimped around the annularopen edge of the hood.

Referring to Fig. 2 a molded rubber ring .5 may be formed with annularextensions 6 at one edge and "I at the other. Spaced diaphragms 8 and 9extend inwardly from the ring which, as will be described, form the sealeffected by the negative or positive pressure within the helmet.

In mounting the ring 5 on the rim of the helmet, we have devised apreferred mounting in which the annular extension I is bent back overthe bead 4. Preferably a resilient band in may I then be inserted withinthe channel of the extension 1 as indicated in Figs. 1 and 3. We havefound that such a construction satisfactorily secures the band inposition on the helmet, although other modifications may be employed toaccomplish this purpose.

Referring to Fig. 3, the annular flexible diaphragms 8 and 9 are shownin the position they will assume when the helmet is positioned on thehead. The friction of the head against the diaphragm 8 will cause it toassume a concave formation which withstands pressure against it duringthe pressure cycle.

The flexible annular. diaphragm 9 is drawn down in a concave formationby manual adjustment. When it is in position as shown in Fig. 3, itresists negative pressure in the same manner that the diaphragm 8resists positive pressure within the helmet.

Such an arrangement further furnishes a sealing device which isexpansible to fit different sized heads. In Fig. 4 a section of thehelmet is shown in which the diaphragms 8 and 9 are merely spreadfarther apart to accommodate a larger sized head. The principle ofsealing however is the same.

It is one of the features of this seal that the pressure against thehead is not along 'a predetermined line as the seal alternates back andforth during the alternate cycles of positive and negative pressure.Thus the tightening of a partieularline drawn around the head whichrestricts the even flow of blood in the blood vessels is prevented.

We have further found it desirable to mount a sponge rubber ring l2between the diaphragms B and 9 and a metal ring l3 may be installed inthe channel on the projection B.

It will be observed that the removal of the band It permits the ring 5to be removed from the helmet so that the portion of the ring which fitsagainst the head of a person receiving treatment may readily be removedso that it can be sterilized. Were the attachment of the ring morepermanent, considerable difficulty might be encountered in removing itfor sterilization.

The type of sealing diaphragms which we employ is such that the higherthe positive pressure in the helmet, the more the diaphragm 8 is pressedagainst the head. The greater the negative pressure during the vacuumcycle the tighter the diaphragm 9 is pressed against the head. Thus theseal provided is substantially proportionate to the positive or negativepressure within the helmet and the efficiency of the seal isproportionate to the requirement of efiiciency.

Preferably, the air connection to the helmet enters at the top; andsince upon the suction portion of the cycle of operation the helmetdraws down over the head, it is highly desirable to cushion any contactof the helmet with the head, and at the same time to avoid any hard orunequal pressure on the head. In order to pro vide for this, we insertinto the top of the helmet prior to assembling the head gripping memberthereon, a large sponge rubber pad which fills the entire top of thehelmet except where it is occupied by the said member. This pad, beingof sponge rubber, will permit of the application of pressure and suctionto the head within the helmet, and will also engage the top of the headcontinuously instead of in a localized area when the helmet draws downfor each suction stroke. To assist in rapid evacuation and rapid inflowof air under pressure, a hole is made as indicated at I la in thatportion of the pad which lies over the air opening.

The diaphragm 8 does not interfere with the suction being applied overall that portion of the head which projects through the diaphragm 9; andduring the pressure'stroke when the diaphragm 8 seals against the head,the helmet is in the act of rising so that the pressure of the diaphragmitself against the head is not as great as it would be otherwise. So,also, during the suction stroke the diaphragm 8 does not impose anysealing contact as noted, and the diaphragm 9 is relaxed somewhat, dueto the fact that the helmet draws down over the head.

The usual treatment with the helmet lasts for thirty minutes, and it isapparent that comfort and elimination of excessive constriction is ahighly important attribute of such an apparatus.

To facilitate the understanding of the claims which follow, the flexibleflaps 8 and 9 are referred to as annular diaphragms to distinguish fromstiff annular flanges as proposed for example in the French Patent No.587,421 to Bibard.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In combination with a metallic helmet adapted to move, during use, upand down on the head and having an air inlet through which compressedgas is forced into the helmet and negative pressure induced in saidhelmet by exhaustion through said inlet, a rubber head-engaging elementhaving spaced annular diaphragms, one to be fastened about the head andtheother to rest on the head and above the first, and a cushioningelement mounted between the said diaphragms.

2. In combination with a metallic helmet adapted to move, during use, upand down on the head and having an air inlet through which compressedgas is forced into the helmet and negative pressure induced in saidhelmet by exhaustion through said inlet, a rubber head-engaging elementhaving spaced annular diaphragms, one to be fastened about the head andthe other to rest on the head and above the first, a cushioning elementmounted between the said diaphragms, and a porous cushioning elementfilling the helmet above the said upper diaphragm.

3. In combination with a metallic helmet adapted to move, during use, upand down on the head and having an air inlet through which compressedgas is forced into the helmet and negative pressure induced in saidhelmet by exhaustion through said inlet, a rubber head-engaging elementhaving spaced annular diaphragms, one to be fastened about the head andthe other to rest on the head and above the first, a cushioning elementmounted between the said diaphragms, and a porous cushioning elementfilling the helmet above the said upper diaphragm, and a hole throughthe said porous element communicating with the air inlet therein.

4. In combination with a metallic helmet adapted to move up and down onthe head and having an air inlet through which compressed gas is forcedinto the helmet and negative pressure induced in said helmet byexhaustion through said inlet; a rubber head-engaging element havingspaced annular diaphragms, one to be fastened about the head and theother to rest on the head and above the first, and a porous cushioningelement filling the helmet above the said upper diaphragm.

5. In combination with a metallic helmet adapted to move up and down onthe head and having an air inlet through which compressed gas is forcedinto the helmet and negative pressure induced in said helmet byexhaustion through said inlet; a rubber head-engaging element havingspaced annular diaphragms, one to be fastened about the head and theother to rest on the head and above the first, a porous cushioningelement filling the helmet above the said upper diaphragm, and a holethrough the said porous element communicating with the air inlettherein.

6. In combination with a helmet of sufiicient stiffness not to becollapsed by negative pressure therein, sealing means to seal saidhelmet on the head of a wearer, said sealing means comprising a memberremovable from the helmet for sterilization and which engages the headin one plane during cycles of negative pressure within the helmet andwhich engages the head in another plane during cycles of positivepressure thereby permitting the helmet to move up and down on the headduring cycles of pressure and negative pressure within the helmet.

'7. In combination with a helmet of suflicient stiffness not to becollapsed by negative pressure therein, sealing means to seal saidhelmet on the head of a wearer and to permit movement of the helmet downon the head during intermittent cycles of negative pressure induced insaid helmet, said means comprising a flexible member removable from saidhelmet for sterilization and comprising a diaphragm forming a vacuumseal in a plane extending around the wearers head spaced from the planein which said helmet is secured about the head during intervals when thevacuum is broken within the helmet.

LEWIS M. CROSLEY. FRED E. JOHNSTON.

